It was right there on the bill from Federal Express (FedEx), an “advancement fee” on the customs duty paid for a package sent to me from overseas.

I pulled out my calculator and figured the $6.50 fee for the $25 customs fee was a 26 percent take. Wow. Talk about onerous.

In all the years I have received FedEx packages from overseas, I had never seen this fee. And the mark-up on it wasn’t anything I could replicate on my own at a bank, a CD, an investment — not in the week between the time the box arrived and the bill came in the regular mail (how weird is that….my mail (the box) comes via FedEx but my FedEx bill comes via the mail).Read more…

David joined The Denver Post in 1999, his second go-round in the Mile High City. Since then he’s covered a variety of topics – from human services to consumer affairs – most always with an investigative bent. Currently he does investigations and banking.